I LOVE fall & Halloween and another one of our annual family traditions is going to Zoo Boo. It is such a fun experience!! We went last Friday and had a great time! Luckily we were done before the rain came. It looks like this coming weekend will be great weather, so I definitely recommend checking it out! Besides the typical zoo visit and seeing all the animals, here’s what you can expect if you attend:
The Zoo is decked out with jack-o-lanterns and creepy decorations/scenes while fun Halloween music is playing on speakers throughout the zoo making it a very festive environment. There are trick-or-treating stations throughout the zoo where kids can get candy as they make their way around the zoo visiting the animals. Everyone is encouraged to come in costume! You can bring your own bag or bucket to collect candy, but you don’t need to because the zoo provides some cute plastic trick-or-treat bags upon entry. The best part about the bags is there are 2 Free Kids’ Meal coupons for Texas Roadhouse attached to each bag (Score!!)!
As you explore the zoo you will find 2 giant inflatables, a children’s maze and live swamp monsters in the penguin exhibit area. And if the kids get hungry while you’re there (for something besides candy) or they need a little break, the Mayan Cafe is open with plenty of food options.
There is also a fun horse-drawn wagon haunted hayride through the “Freaky Forest” you can enjoy on 10/20 & 10/21 included with admission. (Note: it does not run the last weekend of Zoo Boo.) There are lots of spooky scenes set up with actors in costume walking around to scare you. They do not get on the wagon or touch anyone, so it’s not too scary. My daughters (11 & 9) weren’t scared and enjoyed it. My 6-year old was a little scared, but nothing too serious. We did one of the first rides of the night before it was dark which may have helped. I’m sure the darker it is, the scarier. Lines can get long for the hayride, so you may want to get in line early if possible or just plan accordingly. The first ride of the evening is at 5PM and they run continuously until about 8PM. They have about 4 different wagons running, so the line moves pretty quickly. While you wait in line you can purchase some snacks and drinks like hot cider, hot cocoa, goldfish, cotton candy and etc while listening to fun music from Special Moments DJ.
I would suggest arriving as early as possible to get the best parking and to avoid long entrance lines. I’ve heard these can get really long and that the parking can fill up quickly, though we’ve never had much of an issue. But we typically try to arrive early, so that could be why.
Zoo Boo is Friday & Saturday from 3PM-8PM (10/20, 10/21, 10/27 & 10/28)
(Zoo gates will close at 2PM on these dates to prepare for Zoo Boo. Entry gates will re-open at 3PM and close at 7:30PM.)
Admission is $12 per person at the gate or $10 per person in advance. You can purchase advance tickets at North Shore Bank Locations, Meijer, Suamico Citgo, Charlie’s County Market in Shawano, Witt’s Piggly Wiggly in Crivitz, Econo Foods in Sturgeon Bay, online and at the NEW Zoo Visitor Center.
The Adventure Park is also getting into the Halloween Spirit with Evening “Glow Zips!” From 6PM to 8PM on all Zoo Boo dates, the Adventure Park will host “Glow-Zipping,” along with a chance to experience the Climbing Wall, for a flat fee of just $12 per person. A special glow stick is included with the Zip. The Adventure Park will be open for regular hours (with all three features – the Zip Line, Climbing Tower, and Ropes Challenge Course – available to guests) from 3PM. to 6PM on Zoo Boo Friday nights (Oct 20st & 27th) and from 10AM to 6PM on Zoo Boo Saturdays (Oct 21st & 28th). The Adventure Park will be open for regular hours on all other October weekend dates.
Tickets for the Adventure Park can be purchased at the Adventure Park Base Camp – located near the Ski Lodge building next to the Zoo’s Upper Parking Lot.
